of a critical season for the industry.

Pippa Grive has quit to get married, but plans to stay on as a consultant.

The news came on the final day of the two-day travel trade show Bermuda Marketplace in London. Ms Grive declined to name the groom.

She told The Royal Gazette : "I am getting married and coming to live on the Island.'' But behind the joy of impending matrimony, Ms Grive expressed sadness at having to resign.

"It is a difficult thing to have to resign my position. We have just started to get momentum for this coming season.'' Ms Grive will remain with the Tourism department as a consultant to ensure the smooth transition between her reign and that of her successor, Ian Parker.

Her departure comes as January figures for UK visitors to the Island have gone up about 13.5 percent.

And two top tour operators, British Airways Holidays and Kuoni, have reported that their advance bookings are up some 20 percent.

Meanwhile, an advertisement featuring five-day short break holidays to the Island for 559 in The Daily Telegraph has prompted about 2,500 people to respond.

"This is bringing Bermuda into a price bracket that more people can afford and will help the Island lose its image of being an exclusive destination,'' she said.

Ms Grive said she was confident in Mr. Parker as a replacement and noted that she would continue working with Communications in Business (CiB) on a consultant basis.

British-based travel consultants CiB are responsible for marketing the Island through the UK and across Europe. Mr. Parker is a director with the firm as is Ms Grive.

"He has a very strong marketing background. He will take over the position and I will remain on as a consultant with the company which means I will come over to London for one week each month.'' The Department of Tourism confirmed the replacement and backed Mr. Parker's selection in a press release.

"Based on Mr. Parker's extensive travel related experience, we are confident that Bermuda will continue to do well out of this market under his direction as he implements the policies approved by the Department of Tourism on behalf of Bermuda's tourism industry.'' Tourism Director Gary Phillips noted the good work Ms Grive had done for the Island.

"UK and Europe have performed well, with air arrivals up a significant 33 percent and 20 percent respectively over the past five years.'' And these increases included tourists and not just people visiting friends and relatives on the Island, he added.

"The percentage of those visiting friends and relatives has increased for both UK and Europe; however, during that same period, the number of bed nights were up 14 percent and 20 percent respectively.'' Ms Grive replaced Derek Brightwell as the head of British and European marketing of Bermuda in 1995. Mr. Brightwell had held the portfolio for some ten years.

One of the initiatives she was behind was the decision to pull Bermuda from the World Travel Market show.

Instead the department set up its own show at the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge, London, under her guidance. This year's event, which concluded yesterday, was the second annual Bermuda Marketplace.

Grive quits tourism post Ms Grive said: "We have had a good number of tour operators, group agents and Bermuda specialists at the show.'' Of the 125 top travel agents for the Island -- called specialists because of training they have received on selling Bermuda -- 50 attended the event.

"Geographically it was not possible for many of the others to get here,'' explained Ms Grive.

"The feedback we have been getting is that they have had good business and relationships have been started with new operators for the first time.

"The setting has also allowed them to develop existing relationships with each other.'' In particular, she continued, a lot of interest had been generated by the presence of World Rugby Classic organisers John Kane and David Mutch at the travel show.

And the presence of cycle rental representative Michael Smatt, golf representative Wayne Smith and Scuba diving representative Michael Burke had prompted a number of operators to consider expanding their programmes to include these facets of the vacation experience on an all-inclusive basis.

"This is great. It's what we were aiming for -- marketing Bermuda as an all-inclusive Island resort,'' said Ms Grive.

Pippa Grive